Calallen ISD Board of Trustees, Place 5: Chad Wilfong

As a candidate for Place 5 on the Calallen Independent School District Board of Trustees, Chad Wilfong believes he has the business experience to bring positive change to the district.

Wilfong is a native of Sugarland, Texas, where he graduated from Kempner High School in 1992. He continued his education at Abiline Christian University, where he earned a degree in Human Resource Management in 1997.

In 2002, he was hired as a human resource manager with Valero Energy, and worked in San Antonio, California and Oklahoma before moving to Corpus Christi two years ago.

He and his wife, Tiffany, have four children, ranging in age from 11 to six years old. Tiffany has a degree in education, Wilfong said, and currently works as a substitute teacher at Wood River Elementary.

Wilfong currently serves on the boards for Junior Achievement in the Coastal Bend, the Oilbelt Little League, Coastal Bend Prep Tech and the Driscoll Foundation.

"I've always been involved in youth programs, whether in youth sports as a coach or as a board member or in an educational organization," Wilfong said. "I'm the type of person who really likes to get involved in things, understand things and see where I can be of assistance. I think I bring a lot of things to the table with my business knowledge, and I think I could be very beneficial to the school district."

Wilfong said his first priority as a member of the board of trustees would be to continue the district's dedication to fiscal responsibility.

"I think the school district has done a very good job up to this point. I think it's going to continue to get more difficult. I think there's going to be less and less dollars provided by the state, and therefore school districts are going to have to become more creative in how they go about getting their money," Wilfong said. "I will go in there and make sure we squeeze every penny out of the dollar we spend and make sure we get the most return on investment for our money."

Wilfong said he would also ensure the district continues to focus on providing students with the technology they need to succeed. He also hopes to improve vocational education in the district through partnering with businesses in the area.

"I think one of the areas we can get a little stronger in Calallen is vocational education," Wilfong said. "I would look for businesses that are in that area to provide resources, maybe some of their employees to come in and help teach courses and give students real-life examples. There are a lot of companies in town that could provide resources or materials to the district for those courses."

When asked what separates him from his opponent, Jesse Molina, Wilfong pointed to his business experience and the fact that he has children who are students in the district.

"Do you want somebody who has some business background, who knows how to balance a budget, who has the connections in the City of Corpus Christi to get things done?" Wilfong asked. "Do you want to have somebody on the board who has a general knowledge of the labor market and what kinds of jobs are coming available in the City of Corpus Christi in the future, so we can prepare students for those type of jobs? I have that background."